Given the pressures on farming and rural family budgets, it is important to be aware of all possible support which may be available to you. There are a number of measures which can be taken advantage of to lessen the impact of the annual rates bill, issued at the beginning of April.
Most farming families will be aware of and are already in receipt of the 20% relief applied to the value of the farmhouse. This relief may further apply to more than one home connected to the farm itself, such as where multiple family members farm together. However, an individual’s income must primarily come from farming for this to apply.
Further discounts are available through the Lone Pensioners Allowance (LPA) and the Disabled Person’s Allowance (DPA), which can be applied on top of the already existing allowance that has been made for an agricultural property. Ratepayers aged 70 or over who live alone may be entitled to 20% discount on their rates. If you are eligible, you can make an application at any time during the rating year. If you are over 70 but do not live alone, you may be entitled to LPA if you live:
- with a carer who is not your spouse or partner,
- provide care for someone who is not your spouse or partner,
- live with someone who is under the age or 18 or,
- live with someone who has severe mental impairment including your spouse or partner.
Furthermore, DPA allows for some ratepayers to be entitled to a 25% discount if their property has been changed to meet the needs of an individual with permanent disabilities living in the household. The property must be adapted internally or have additional facilities added to suit the disabled person’s needs, with a clear link between how the property has been adapted and the person’s disability. This allowance may be applied on top of the LPA, granting a notable overall discount.
For more information or to make an application for rates relief ahead of the issuance of the rates bill, visit their website by clicking here, or contact Land & Property Services.
